Descent
by shadowyruin
Summary: Set after COLS, in COHF. Clary thinks she's safe at the Institute, but she might not be...
1. Chapter 1

Sebastian and Clary: a fanfic.

Set after COLS, in COHF.

Rating might change later.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. The only thing I own is the plot.

'**There are things worse than death, **a**nd I will do all these things to you, little sister, once you've drunk from the cup. **

**And you **_**will like it.'**_

The words echoed startlingly in her mind, wrenching Clary from her pleasant dreams. As her eyes shot open, she took in the window, around which ivy curled and looped, entertwined with tiny flowers budding on the vines. She was back in the Institute. Slowly, carefully, she swept her eyes around the room, taking in her easel with the rubbed-out charcoal drawing she never got to finish last night. A shaft of sunlight streamed into her room and fell across the parquet floor, making pretty patterns which she'd never thought the Institute capable of hosting.

She sighed, in relief. Still, the threatening epithet nagged at the back of her mind, bothering, hindering, sparing her no comfort. Pushing it away forcibly, she got up, padding over to the door with the soundless aid of her fluffy mules.

'Jace…' she started, knocking on the door softly, then tugging the door handle. The door opened to reveal a shirtless Jace, still in bed, with the blankets strewn about his body. The light from the windowpanes dressed his blond hair in a halo; if Clary squinted her eyes, it would appear almost white.

He was snoring softly, fluttery eyelashes shut tight against the evil of this world. Suddenly, the clouds shifted, and the sun came out in full force, fingers of light extending to catch the hard and chiseled muscles of his chest, prominent after years of Shadowhunter training.

Clary smiled, then, and sat gently on the bed, content to stare at him. Before long, although she had slept a full eight hours the night before, her eyelids were closing, and gravity seemed to act on her as she snuggled up to him; resting her head in the space under his chin, feeling his body caress her spine in an unlikely embrace as he stirred, moaning softly, then draping an arm over her, pulling her flush to him.

She drifted off, to the last good sleep she would ever get.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed and followed! It means the world to me **

**I've decided to change the rating to M as I might inadvertently type something that's more M-rated, so… ya know. Precautions, precautions.**

**Also, I'm not very sure about the general direction that the story is taking, so some ideas would be great.**

**Once again, thanks! And here's chapter 2, then.**

_She was still caught in the pleasant haze of her dream, where Jace and her were walking around a meadow in Alicante. Butterflies weaved around their legs, among the flowers in the dawn light as they strolled around, enjoying the scenery._

'_Clary…,' he began._

_She looked up at him, questioningly._

'_Can I-'_

_At this point, he cleared his throat nervously, then tried to continue._

'_Can I… tell you something?'_

_The ever-present ball of worry began to gnaw fiercely at her insides, branches of fear wrapping around her throat like a noose; a noose of anxiety and pain._

'_Ye… Yes?' That came out more nervously than she intended, a quaver working its way into the short syllables._

_Jace reached out to touch her then, a long, thin finger trailing its way down her cheek, then strong, warm hands cupping her face. Various emotions flitted across his face, causing Clary to doubt, even then, while looking into his eyes, at the amber which glowed a honey golden._

'_I love you.'_

_It came so fast, a whisper on the breath of the wind, that Clary thought she'd misheard. Soon, though, she'd made the connection, and was reaching out to whack Jace on the arm, a smile stretching the corners of her face. Jace ducked, and they both laughed, collapsing on the grass, rolling about in companionable mirth._

'_But seriously, Clary. I… I-'_

_He lifted her face to his, and Clary could've sworn that the magnificence of the sun was reflected in his eyes, even as they flickered and shifted. She closed her eyes –_

And opened them to a nightmare.

She woke up in a dingy room, with a cast-iron bedframe and little else. Her head was pounding, blood swirling about, the roaring of the waves in her head drowning out her innermost thoughts. Sudden panic gripped her, and she tried to move, to even feel reassurance in the comfort of motion, of something _familiar_, something close to home.

But something held her back. Twisting her head back frantically, she found that her arms had been bound to a bedpost with lengths of rope. Her arms throbbed painfully from the chafing of the rough material, felt even through the thin cloth that was wrapped round, meant to protect her from the horrors of injury. To her shock, she realized that her legs, too, were similarly bound.

Just then, a creak sounded through the room, and she sensed a malevolent presence…


	3. Chapter 3

**EXAMS ARE OVERRR YASSSSSSSS \(^o^)/**

**(well except for practical which is tomorrow but who cares)**

**Anyway, thanks for reviewing. It gives me motivation!**

**Ideas on how to continue would also be appreciated :)  
**

She felt numb. The figure at the door was her worst nightmare, personified. Her blood curdled at the sight of his pitch-black hair, gelled into pointy spikes.

As if he had the right to hair gel.

As if he had the right to _anything at all._

A slow grin worked its way up his face as he inched forward, obviously savouring the moment. Savouring her discomfort. She hoped she didn't look as terrified as she felt.

'Long time no see, little sister.'

His hand reached out to stroke her face, like how dream Jace had done. She flinched away from his touch, and immediately, her face was wrenched sharply back to face his, his vile fingers digging into the curve of her jaw.

'What's up? Can't bear the sight of me?' He smirked. Suddenly, his expression became dark, as if a shadow had flitted over it for an instant. For a moment, Clary thought he was going to kill her as he glowered at her, menace glittering in the pits of his eyes, masking a dull fury that threatened to spark, a raging inferno cloaked with secrecy and restraint.

Clary spat, unable to resist any longer. The spitball nailed him right in the eye, and he let out a yell, enraged now by her act of defiance. In the split second before his hand came down on her, she simply stared, heart thudding almost to a standstill, before pain shot through her nerve endings as she was backhanded by Sebastian. She winced, instinctively jerking at the restraints, a futile attempt to soothe the sting.

He had a surprising calmness to him again, the calm that came before the storm as he wiped the spit out of his eye, slowly, too slowly, as Clary lay paralyzed, waiting to hear her fate.

'Tsk tsk, Clary. Treating your older brother like that. Well, it's off to the dungeon for you.'

He pulled at the restraints then, ripping the cords that bound her to the bed with inhuman ease. She was off like a shot, his mocking laughter filling the air behind her as she sprinted down the darkened corridor frantically, blood rushing to her stiffened limbs…


End file.
